The Texas Railroad Commission adopted one of the first hydraulic fracturing chemical disclosure requirements in the country on Dec. 13.

The rule requires that all operators who received a permit on or after Feb. 1, 2012, list their hydraulic fracturing ingredients on a public website (www.fracfocus.org)

The rule was in response to House Bill 3328 that was signed by the House and Senate in May 2011 and then by Gov. Perry in June 2011.

“I am proud to see Texas once again leading the way for regulation in the oil patch,” said Railroad Commissioner David Porter. “Back in May when the legislation was passed, I pledged to get this rulemaking done within a year. A lot of naysayers said it couldn’t be done, but I felt it was important that we get this done as quickly as possible, so that Texans could maintain confidence in the oil and gas industry. Now, after only seven months, the rule is in place, and there will be no doubt regarding the safety of the fluids used in fracking.”

The state of Colorado passed a similar law on Dec. 13, as well, but their rule does not go into effect until April. They are also requiring companies to list their ingredients on the website FracFocus.

FracFocus is a chemical registry website. According to the website, it “is a joint project of the Ground Water Protection Council and the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission.”